Read, Stay Safe, Enjoy Biking.

 

 

 

 

Rules of the Road

• Bike on the road in the same direction as traffic.
• Stop at red lights and stop signs, and obey other traffic signs (i.e. one-way street, yield, etc.), just like you would in a car.
• Use marked bike paths or lanes when they’re available.
• When traveling with children, be extra safe.

Safety Gear

• Helmet.
• Bell or horn.
• White headlight and red taillight when riding around sunrise, sunset, or at night
• Working brakes
• Reflectors on the front and back.

Good Habits for Busy Streets

• Put down the phone.
• Ride in a straight line.
• Stay on the Left side of the lane
• Stay out of drivers’ blind spots.
• Always keep at least one hand on the handlebars.
• Signal well
  
  • To turn left, extend the left arm straight out from your side, parallel to the ground.
  • To turn right, extend the left arm out straight from the shoulder with the elbow bent and the left hand pointing straight up. The arm should form an “L” shape.
  • To slow down, extend the left arm out straight from the shoulder with the elbow bent and the left hand pointing straight down. It’s the opposite of the right-hand turn.
• Don’t drink and bike
• Stay visible.
• Consider sporting a mirror.
• Travel with a mini tool kit.
• Check local municipal and state traffic laws.

VEC-TIP: Important parts to check, to make sure effeciency stays stable.

1. Oxygen (O2) Sensor – A sluggish or faulty oxygen sensor can increase fuel consumption. When a vehicle has over 100,000 miles, a replacement should be considered. All vehicles manufactured after 1995 have an oxygen sensor mounted in the exhaust to monitor exhaust flow before and after the catalytic converter, referred to as sensor 1 and sensor 2 -- with some vehicles having as many as four. The engine computer adjusts the amount of fuel injected based on the O2 signal from sensor 1.


2. Spark Plugs – Spark plugs ignite the air/fuel mixture in the engine combustion chambers and are critical to powering your vehicle. With a fresh set of plugs, cars can run cleaner and burn fuel more efficiently. It is usually a big-ticket item at the dealership when combined with a 60,000 mile service.


3. Air Filter – A dirty air filter can reduce fuel economy, and is more problematic on older vehicles – and with the average age of vehicles on the road today at over 11 years this is something car owners should pay attention to.


4. Tires – If tires are worn out, out of alignment, or under inflated, vehicle handling and fuel efficiency will suffer.

At 216 mph Ford GT is fastest car ever under the Blue Oval

The full spec sheet for the Ford GT is out, and the newest American supercar will be the fastest vehicle to wear a Ford badge.

Ford said the GT will have a top speed of 216 mph thanks to a turbocharged V-6 that generates 647 hp at 6,250 rpm and 550 lb-ft of torque at 5,900 rpm.
The company also noted the GT laid down a 2 minute, 9.8 second time at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Canada. For comparison, the McLaren 675LT did it in 2 minutes, 10.8 seconds, and the Ferrari 458 Speciale only managed a 2:12.9.

The 2005-06 Ford GT previously held the automaker's top speed record at 205 mph, a Ford spokesman confirmed.
“Our expectation has always been that the EcoBoost V-6 would perform exceptionally well in the Ford GT – both in terms of power as well as aerodynamic efficiency,” Dave Pericak, global director of Ford Performance, said in a statement. “We tested and developed this powertrain through the Daytona Prototype race car that ran in IMSA for two seasons, last season racing with Ford GT. We are extremely pleased with how it performs, both on the track and on the road.”

The Ford GT's dry weight is 3,045 pounds; fluids would add a hundred or two more, but power-to-weight comes out to 4.72 pounds per horse. That lands the GT in between what Ford says are its two primary competitors, the 675LT and the Ferrari 488.

The GT is priced in the mid-$400,000s. Ford began GT production and delivery in December.
Ford is limiting output to 250 a year -- it received more than 6,000 applications for the first 500. It announced earlier this year it will extend production an additional two years, through the 2020 model year.

The application process favored current GT owners and Ford loyalists to ensure the new cars will be driven on the road and not stored or flipped for a profit. The third year of production will be set aside for applicants who were placed on the waitlist for the first batch of cars. The application process for fourth-year cars will open in early 2018, Ford said previously.

source- Auto News 

A technology guide to 2017

Here are some key products and technologies likely to generate headlines in the next 12 months.

 

The Bolt's big year

The Chevrolet Bolt, Motor Trend's Car of the Year and a finalist for North American Car of the Year, may be the most watched new car of 2017. The compact hatchback has a 238-mile range on a single charge, which tops some versions of the Tesla Model S. It is the first of several non-luxury battery electric cars with a 200-plus-mile range headed to market. Next up is the second generation of the Nissan Leaf, expected to be shown late this year and go on sale in 2018.

Wrangler re-do

Expect the redesigned Jeep Wrangler to get a huge amount of attention in 2017. Fiat Chrysler's cash cow is getting overhauled from its tires up for the first time in 11 years. This time around, most of the Wrangler's exterior body panels will be made of aluminum to save weight, which should boost the vehicle's poor fuel economy. Aerodynamics will be given attention, but not so much that it alters the vehicle's iconic looks. A diesel engine, along with a beefy turbocharged four-cylinder, is possible.

Return of the legends

Two other SUVs with historic nameplates might also break cover in 2017 -- at least in the form of spy photos and perhaps in early previews.
Land Rover's new Defender -- one of the original SUVs along with the Wrangler's ancestor -- is far along in development and is already undergoing testing in England. It's widely expected to join Land Rover's North American lineup in late 2018. Look for it to be powered by Jaguar Land Rover's new Ingenium diesel engine.
Ford could also make official the return of the Bronco, which is likely to be based on the body-on-frame Ranger pickup truck and will probably be built in the company's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., near Detroit.

Eyes front, please

On the technology front in 2017, keep your eyes on the debut of Cadillac's Super Cruise on the flagship CT6 sedan. It's a semiautonomous system that enables the car to drive itself on the highway. Super Cruise isn't the first such system. Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and a few other brands have similar systems. But Super Cruise will add a twist that should enhance safety: an eye tracking system. IHS analyst Jeremy Carlson says eye-tracking will be an important component of monitoring the driver.

Tech for everyone

But the real technology trend of the new year will be the continued move to "democratize" features such as advanced safety and connectivity, says AutoPacific analyst Dave Sullivan. The stuff that was previously found on luxury and high-performance vehicles is migrating to mainstream cars.
A prime example is Toyota's Star Safety System, a suite of six safety systems that Toyota installs on every model, from the bargain basement Yaris to the most expensive Lexus. The system includes traction control, vehicle stability control, antilock brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, brake assist and Smart Stop Technology.






source-auto news 

 

Hamilton: engine issues 'odd'

Lewis Hamilton says "something doesn't feel right" after he endured another engine failure during the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton, having led away from pole position, held a comfortable lead over the Red Bull drivers when his engine gave up with 15 laps to go.

Hamilton took on multiple new power unit elements at the Belgian Grand Prix, after early-season reliability woes put him on the back foot.

Nico Rosberg, meanwhile, recovered from a first-corner collision to take third, and extend his title advantage over Hamilton to 23 points.

"There's not really much… I've just got to move on," said Hamilton.

"Our guys did a fantastic job this weekend. We did everyting we could. I just can't believe that there are eight Mercedes cars and only my engines are the ones that have been going.

"Something doesn't feel right, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Asked if he had turned the engine up, Hamilton responded: "No. It was a brand new engine. I had done one race with it. It was a brand new engine out of the new three that I had.

"It's just odd. 43 engines in Mercedes and only mine are gone."

Hamilton added that the situation is playing on his mind for the final five races.

"I don't even know if my car is going to make it. These next five races I know we've got it in us, me, my engineers and my mechanics, but who knows what the next engines I have are going to do.

"I'm just going to keep my head down and hope for the best."



source - GPUPDATE.net

Formula 1 Update

Three consecutive wins for Nico Rosberg at Belgium, Italy and Singapore takes him
to first position followed by close rival and team mate Lewis Hamilton.
we are left with six races @
1- Malaysia on 30 Sep-02 Oct
2- Japan on 07 Oct-09 Oct
3- United States on 21 Oct-23 Oct
4- Mexico on 28 Oct-30 Oct
5- Brazil on 11 Nov-13 Nov
FINALLY
ABU DHABI ON 25 Nov-27 Nov

Ferrari Redefined